LOCALadk Magazine

"Addressing these basics right now has immeasurable return on investment, and the industry should be laser-focused on servicing these new riders," said Sorenson. e National Bicycle Dealers Association agrees, and while the pandemic has caused disruption in how consumers live, work, and play. According to the association, people working from home value personal mobility and are realizing the value of a bicycle. And they're riding a lot. Despite the pandemic flat tire that curbed organized group rides and most events in 2020, people still organized to get active. ey just didn't physically get together to do it. Bike Adirondacks (BikeADK), a bicycle tourism company based in Saranac Lake, safely hosted three charity-driven virtual events in 2020: ADK Unite, Ride for the River, and the Pat Stratton Ride. Combined, they drew over 500 participants and raised more than $15,000 for local charities and nonprofit organizations. And because each was held "virtually," registration wasn't limited to those living in the Adirondacks. ADK Unite, for example—a run/ walk/ride event designed to generate funding for food pantries in the Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake area—had 280 participants from 62 different cities and 16 states. Mountain bike trail networks saw more fat tires than ever, road cycling routes were shared on social media like cat videos, and tractor tires were not the only treads kicking up dirt road dust. e "Find a Ride" search tool on BikeAdirondacks.com saw more traffic than any other page on the website. "Sure, the bicycle event industry took a hit last year," says BikeADK owner Doug Haney, who canceled two planned events in 2020. "But more than anything, it made the industry get creative on how to keep people engaged, and in doing so, we found a way to engage a whole new group of people, specifically as it relates to being active for a cause." Case in point. For the past 19 years, the Saranac Lake Kiwanis Club hosted the Pat Stratton Ride to raise funds for area youth programs. It's one of their biggest annual fundraisers. Postponing the 20th Anniversary would have been a hard but easy call to make. Instead, the organization moved forward with a virtual model that generated over $9,000, one of the largest fundraising hauls in event history. "Every charity-driven event BikeADK is involved in will absolutely have a virtual element in the future," said Haney. "While you may not live in the Adirondacks, we certainly invite anyone who wants to get out and ride in support of our communities. Plus, it's a way of saying, 'join us in person next time.'" For BikeADK and many other event operators, in-person events are happening in 2021. However, they're taking steps to ensure they can operate safely while following guidance from New York State and the Centers for Disease Control. For example, BikeADK's annual Weekender at Paul Smith's College road-cycling event is back for August 6-8, but will be limited to just 50 registrants. Ausable River Association's Ride for the River is also back on, with an in-person rider cap of 50. Additionally, the company introduced a full slate of small group tours, including a new 40-rider Adirondack Women's Weekend hosted June 25-27 at the Hotel Saranac, multiple 18-person weeklong tours, and two other 12-person events hosted at Great Camp Sagamore. Planning is also in the works to bring the annual Wilmington Mountain Bike Fest, hosted by Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA), back to in-person this fall. "It might feel good to pull the mask off and give the bicycle event industry a shot in the arm, but we owe it to each other to ease into it," says Haney. "Personally, I feel incredibly fortunate to even be able to host events again, but for me, the true value of them is bringing people together to do something good for others. I want to take the $15,000 we raised last year and double it in 2021." To help BikeADK make that happen and for more information on riding your bike in the Adirondacks, just cruise over to BikeAdirondacks.com. Once there, you can sign up for an event, browse a calendar of regional cycling events, or Find a Ride by searching a database of road and gravel routes and mountain bike trail networks. And if you see a T-shirt you like in their online store, chances are buying it will generate revenue for a nonprofit partner like BETA. It's how BikeADK rolls. LOCALadk 62

• Cover